Thinking of starting. How much for Equip? I want craft beer quality

[bajaedition]

Learning curve
learning basics

I touched on those earlier but have to say a little more

what ever you want to brew, you will need to know the basics and develop good and solid techniques

learning curve, even the craft breweries had that, they worked on recipes to develop them, they did not just pop out a great beer on their first try. Just go to MoreBeer.com and see how many breweries own their beer sculptures. They buy a small system to experiment on. So remember you will need to brew the same style quite a few times to get it down. Another pointi si how do you even know how good you can brew unless you can brew the exact same beer twice. To many guys in this hobby do not even know how to nail a beer because they have not spent enough time brewing the same beer to learn how.

My advice, pick a beer, one you like from a craft brewery, and try to make that beer. keep trying till you can, and you can on multiple occasions. then move on to another beer. That is how you get good, that is how you get craft brew quality.

 

[te-wa]

fermentation temp and control is king. you can make great beer in a $7 bucket and a $10 bottling kit that will taste great. but you HAVE to maintain constant low temps for most ales. 60-70 degrees, with no big temp swings.

buy what you can afford so you don't have to "upgrade" and waste money in the end.

 

[bajaedition]

from the origonal post

I don't want to make crappy beer and it seems the brewing systems are either like 100 bucks or 2000. Is there a middle ground or can you make quality beer in cheap systems?

lets review this

yes you can get into the hobby for 100 bucks and a brew kettle
yes you can make good beer with it, but that takes good knowledge and technique
Yes it is easier with more and better equipment

but there in lies the problem, how much more and better?

that is an experience answer

and how do you get experience, you either buy in and go for it, making all the mistakes and buying whatever you THINK you need
or
You go out and find a club and brew with a few different guys from the club, and experience all the different styles of equipment and why you need it. If you do this you will also see all of their stuff they do not use but bought because they needed to have it. I think also you will find the guys making the best beers do not have the biggest shiniest brew systems, the are in the middle somewhere. But they have the most knowledge and the best basic techniques. Because they have brewed over and over and over again.

Also, that way you can taste the beer of the guy you are taking advice from. After all if a guy offers you beer that is soso, do you want to learn his way? or the way of the guy who hands you beers you want to learn to make?

 

[Clonefan94]

Its not about the gear. Its about a few things IMO:

Patients
Fermentation Temp Control
Great simple recipes
Yeast! (type and pitch rate)
Sanitation

Do those things well and you will have beer that rivals craft.

Quoted for emphasis. Can't go wrong doing these things right.